Set in Motion

Have you ever watched a movie and found yourself paying more attention to the set than the story? As a lover of classic Alfred Hitchcock movies and all the universal horror pictures like Frankenstein, DISD student Kayleigh Lane would answer with a definitive yes. "I always notice how detailed the sets are and I thought, 'well, someone has to do it!' I didn't know what a production designer did, a set designer, set decorator or art director. Or the relationship between them." What Kayleigh did know was that she wanted to be a part of it. When she started researching, she found that interior design always seemed to pop up on the list of things to know, so she looked for schools and found Design Institute of San Diego.

While at DISD, Kayleigh, has never lost sight of her initial dream, which recently led to a feather in her cap: set dressing credit for an independent film. It all started with an email she received from the communications department at DISD about Set Decorator Days, when people can tour the sets of multiple studios and talk with the people involved. Kayleigh didn't hesitate. "I jumped on the opportunity." And she learned a lot. "Whatever the director wants, the production designer draws up. They are under a lot of pressure, which I didn't realize until later. Their budget is always small. It's cool though. I fell in love even more."

During the Warner Bros. tour, Kayleigh met Pauline, a woman whose husband does production design. While breaking for lunch, Kayleigh invited Pauline to join their group. They ended up exchanging info and emailing over the next couple of months. "She said that if she knew of any opportunities, that she would let me know," Kayleigh explained. A couple of months later that opportunity came on a small low-budget Screen Actors Guild project. "She said it was a great project to be on to get IMDb credit and that's what I really wanted because once you're in the database, your name is out there."

So that's how Kayleigh ended up riding nervously in a taxi in an unfamiliar town to a job she had anticipated her whole life but with little clue of what she'd actually be doing! The anticipation was so great that she started to be overwhelmed and even considered turning back. "I was definitely scared and nervous. It took a lot...once I was there, the more and more I got involved, the more the fear went away and I became super stoked about everything."

The film is based on a true story set in the 1970's in L.A. and on a southern plantation. The first thing Kayleigh learned was how to read the script with set decorator eyes. "Whenever there's a prop or they talk about a cigarette or chair or anything you need to know, you highlight it and make sure it's in the scene and then back again in the same spot when moved."

Before arriving, Kayleigh received a concept sketch of a trellis for a garden party scene. "The sketch was super rough. You could hardly tell what it was." So Kayleigh put it into AutoCad, added dimensions, printed it out and sketched more details on top. Kayleigh also produced a story board with sketches and quotes from a maid scene at the plantation house. Pauline was impressed and stated, "I didn't know you could do that!" That's when Kayleigh replied, "My school taught me how to do all of this." Kayleigh has always been a visual thinker but, "I didn't have the technical skills or even the language. [DISD] really taught me how to communicate my ideas in a professional way."

Kayleigh was so grateful to Pauline for taking her under her wing that she tried to help with anything, whether it was design related or not. "At one point, they handed me some wrinkled fabric and asked me to make it look like wallpaper. So I steamed it out, found a plywood board and wrapped it. When they saw it, they said, 'You're really good at that. Can you do five more? 'I love that quick, hard work."

There were a lot of young film and crew people on set, all with big dreams, so Kayleigh was able to network and make friends. "It was fun to meet everyone and see everyone's crazy creative side all in one room." Kayleigh left with a few potential projects for the future and a feeling of pride. "I felt really good at the end. I felt like I gave it my all...I have to do it again."

Kayleigh is eager to start her senior year and finally get her degree. "I want to be able to show that I can do more than the decoration aspects of the job, like designing or even production." She was thankful for the History of Interiors class because it really helped her know what period furniture was appropriate for the set, but it didn't end there. "Everything kind of came into play which I was interested to see. You go through your classes and you're frustrated and stressed out and thinking, 'why do I need to know this?' And then you go and actually practice something in the real world and you realize...it's all important."

Now that Kayleigh's had her first set experience, she's excited for more. One thing is for sure, just like this opportunity, Kayleigh's open mind and open heart will be her backstage pass and open doors along the way. "Even if it's not as glamorous as you want it to be, you have to start somewhere. I tried to act the same way I would if I was on a huge set and do the best I could. Who knows what impression you made with someone. There's so many people on that set, you just never know."